If someone is waiting for you to answer them, tell them you need to take a few days and think about it. It’s easier to resist the pressure when you put some time and space between yourself and the situation. Peer pressure causes people to do things they would not otherwise do with the hope of fitting in or being noticed.

• Middle schoolers need to know that when they face pressure, they can stand their ground.
• While peer influence can improve your life, peer pressure can cause problems.
• Create a safe space where students can talk about the pressures they may be facing, such as the pressure to conform, and then discuss practical ways to manage this pressure.
• Adolescents see these acts in other young people and are faced with the difficult decision of choosing sides, following the negative leader, and turning away from behavior that goes against their ethical principles.
• Since others are wearing something or doing something, he/she should follow suit to fit into the group.

Normative Influence and Heroism

Saying “no” can be hard, but it’s necessary to set healthy boundaries in relationships. If someone persistently pressures you to do something, you can try telling them how it affects you. “We know that women’s health encompasses much more than reproductive and maternal health,” said Lucy Pérez, report co-author, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company and Coleader of the McKinsey Health Institute.

Establish Positive Friendships

There is evidence supporting the conclusion that parental attitudes disapproving sex tends to lead toward lower levels of adolescent unplanned pregnancy.[35] These disparities are not due solely to parental disposition but also to communication. This type may seem as though it would be easier for to resist but it’s actually just as difficult because you may feel like it is not as “cool” if you don’t do what the others are doing and it may make it more difficult to make friends. Peer pressure transcends age groups and can begin before the first day of school at daycare, playgroup, and more. Not only is this evident in the short term, but it has also been observed in the long term.

How Peer Pressure Affects All Ages

While peer influence can improve your life, peer pressure can cause problems. For example, you may feel pressure to do unsafe things that have risks you may not fully know. Resisting peer pressure can involve avoiding it, saying no, and surrounding yourself with more positive which of the following is a type of indirect peer pressure? influences. Once a child begins seeing themselves as a part of a community, the desire to fit in may occur for better or worse. This is why it is important to talk to your child early on about peer pressure and how to avoid being led into negative behaviors by their peers.

Indirect peer pressure is similar to unspoken pressure in that it is subtle and not explicitly stated but can still strongly influence an impressionable young individual. For instance, when a teen overhears their friend gossiping about another person and then reacts to the gossip, that is considered indirect peer pressure. Another example would be if a student learns that popular kids have alcohol and drugs at their parties. The indirect pressure may prompt them to experiment with alcohol and drugs as well to gain acceptance from the “in” group.

• It would be good for teens to surround themselves with people their age who have the same interests and share the same behavior.
• This is OK, as long as the exercise or sport does not become an unhealthy way of coping, excessive to the point of negatively affecting their health, or dangerous (as in dangerous sports).
• Although parents worry about the influence of peers, overall, parents also can have a strong influence on whether children succumb to negative peer pressure.

“It is important for us to have these conversations early, because cardiovascular disease affects women of all ages and phases of life,” shared Megan Greenfield, report co-author, Partner at McKinsey & Company, and Affiliated Leader at the McKinsey Health Institute. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women, and gaps in care and access persist between women and men. Addressing those gaps could lead to an increase of at least 1.6 million years of quality life and boost the U.S. economy by $28 billion annually by 2040, according to a report published by the American Heart Association and the McKinsey Health Institute (MHI). Adults who think that they might have an addiction should talk with a doctor.

Since others are wearing something or doing something, he/she should follow suit to fit into the group. No one necessarily asks someone to do anything, but it’s an unspoken pressure that he/she feels. https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/drug-use-in-sports-risks-you-have-to-know/ Negative peer pressure occurs when friends negatively influence each other. Examples of negative peer pressure include trying to talk someone into trying drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, and sex.

Peer Pressure in Older Teens and Young Adults

Usually, the term peer pressure is used when people are talking about behaviors that are not considered socially acceptable or desirable, such as experimentation with alcohol or drugs. According to child and adolescent psychiatrist Akeem Marsh, MD, “it’s very easy to be influenced by peer pressure as we humans are wired as social creatures.” As a result, the power and impact of digital peer pressure may vary throughout the world. Adults are just as exposed to this as much as children and adolescents are.

• Examples of negative peer pressure include trying to talk someone into trying drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, and sex.
• Many adults are susceptible to drinking too much because their friends are doing it, or putting work before family because they’re competing with other people in their office for a promotion.
• Because of this, many teens are more susceptible to influence from older or more popular friends.
• It’s similar with sex and “hooking up”—most students have a skewed idea of what others are doing.

2. Rwandan Genocide

Children who need help should approach a parent, caregiver, teacher, or school counselor. A 12-step program may also be a good option for people who lack family support, as these programs are both anonymous and free. Drug use is a necessary prerequisite to drug misuse and substance use disorders, making it a key risk factor. A 2020 study estimates that in 2016, 11.6% of adult drug users had problematic drug use or an addiction. Or peer pressure may be more subtle, slowly normalizing drug use and making it seem less threatening.